The invention generally relates to information processing systems, and more specifically, to keyboard-related control buttons used with graphical user interfaces to information processing systems. The invention has a particular applicability to IBM(copyright) keyboards, computers, and the IBM ThinkPad(copyright) notebook computer. (IBM and ThinkPad are registered trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation.)
Many computer keyboards, both those that stand alone and those that are built in, such as in notebook computers, include pointing devices. The keyboards of many IBM computers include a TrackPoint(copyright) pointing device (TrackPoint is a registered trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation) located between keys above the space bar. Such computers include control buttons for selecting a displayed object pointed to by a displayed pointer controlled by the pointing device, for example, the left- and the right-pointer buttons. The control buttons are often located along an edge of the keyboard for operation by the thumbs while typing and while using the pointing device. In other cases the control buttons are located in a wrist rest which forms part of the keyboard or the notebook computer. But in any case the buttons are intended for operation by the thumbs or sometimes the finger tips.
For many users it would be more naturalxe2x80x94and when the user suffers a repetitive stress injury, more comfortablexe2x80x94to operate a control button using the distal edge of either hand. But that is not possible with the centrally located, thumb operable control buttons now used on most computers having built in pointing devices.
What is needed is a set of control buttons operable by the outer edge of either hand.
This need, and others that will become apparent, is met by the present invention which adds an additional left- and right-control button along the edge of the keyboard and in the wrist rest area of a notebook computer. These additional control buttons duplicate the functions of the thumb operable buttons and are located and shaped such that they are natural and easy to use while typing and while using the finger tips to control the built in keyboard positioning device. The user simply presses down on the additional key with the outer edge near the heel of the hand.